Off Backpacking

[Simon]

I went on a great tour to the wall out of beijing. We went to an urestored section with no other people around, and werent herded into any cheesy tourist trinket shops. The guide, Ting, was quite a character, and he has a website www.tingstours.com.

....

Springtime - I owe you a beer! And not a 20c Tsingtao Beer either!

I have had about 15 different beers across China and what is amazing is that they all taste identical and are about 25% the price of a coke. That is Socialism in a nutshell.

Finally got ahold of Ting last night and booked onto his tour. Quite a character with his long hair, great english and a bike with no seat (so it wont get stolen he says). Unfortunately his business has no grown so his brother does the tour and he pedals around Beijing approaching tourists with his photo album drumming up business.

the brother had no english and Tings last words as we left were that if the brother drove badly or too fast we were to call Ting who would scold him for us...

Was not a problem tho - we are so used to doing everything with points and smiles that it proved no obstacle. Shame Ting wasn't with us as he seemed a funny character.

Shared a minibus with 9 other travellers. An Aussie, A spanish couple, a french trio and an english trio. All were nice people and we got on well - even the poms. We drove for two hours through some picturesque country and past a sign saying that the wall is closed for repairs. The guide paid a copper some money and we were allowed on.

We climbed a goat track and rounded a corner and there was the wall. it really is great.

So far I have found many sights a little dissapointing due to high volume of people, buses and hawkers. But we didn't see a single soul after we left the bus for the 3-4 hours at the wall.

We climbed onto it via some rubble and made our way along a bit. We then reversed directions and climbed a steep hill into a watchtower. We continued along for an hour then stopped for unch. The guide had dropped us at a supermarket saying to buy water and food as no hawkers.

I am sorry but I cannot do it justice. The countryside was mountainous and very steep - this wall basically just augmented the natural barrier of the mountain range. it was impossible to imagine quarrying the stone bricks and getting them onto the site - and we saw a small fraction of the whole.

I had worried that the wall would be just that. And that after ten minutes my short attention span would have me wandering off bored. But I just loved it.

I might even go again...

left at 8am and returned at 5pm. Ate some dinner and had a beer and thinking of an LLD.

Cheers,

 

[Jacque]

I trust you're keeping a journal of all these memories Simon
You are one terrific travel writer!

Hope you enjoy the rest of the trip and come back relaxed and happy, my friend You deserve it

 

[Simon]

Yesterday my back was quite sore after my assault on the wall. Some of the local staff here suggested I visit a local medical centre for a massage. They were even good enough to write it all out in Chinese for the taxi driver.

So I end up in some basement out in the suburbs, walking past kitchen exits with surly looking orientals eyeing my progress and doubtless wondering if anyone would miss me.

i found the medical centre and three staff were eager to assist. I pointed to my back. They nodded and pointed to a sign in Chinese with prices. i nodded back.

I was led to a small room with a massage table. This was quite reassuring and I stripped and lay face down. A woman rubbed the sweat off me with a towel and then proceeded to attach some glass jars on and off my back with small popping noises. She iused a flaming implement to heat the air inside which made them suck to my back. Was kind of fun.

She then proceeded to attach 12 jars to my back after using a large flame to create a near vacuum in each. this was cupping I knew and would draw the poisons from my back. Something that was, no doubt, well overdue.

these things stuck hard.

She went off to watch a soapie on telly for what felt like an hour. The jars got tighter and tighter. I couldn't see them but knew that ample amounts of my flesh were being sucked into each jar.

They got more and more painful but I stuck it out. I was not going to be the first western customer she had and also the first customer crying like a baby in front of her.

Slowly I started to lose feeling in my arms and got pins and needles in my little fingers which started to spread across my hand.

She came in to check two or three times. Each time I knew she would remove them but I was wrong.

Eventually she decided they had to come off. Using a fingernail to break the seal each came off with an audible noise.

She then gave me a massage. Using her small pointed fingers she seperated each of my vertebrae and twisted my muscles into new shapes.

The massage was remarkeably good and I paid her 88 RMB - about $15 and headed back to the Embassy.

I had yet to see a mirror.

That night was bar night in the embassy and my sister in law showed me off as the bravest man she knew.

Picture here for those with strong stomachs.

http://www.somersoft.com/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=1798&cat=500&ppuser=72

Cheers,

 

[ani]

OMG Simon!

I nearly died too first time I had it and looked in the mirror!!

But as long as it worked

 

[thefirstbruce]

Simon, been there done that.....despite being a conservatively trained physio, I have long kept an open mind to natural, traditional, and eastern therapies.

As your wife is a doctor, I suspect you will come to respect the scientific method more and more. From what I know about your back, you might be interested in exploring artificial disc replacements...
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1671.html
and the Texas Back Institute has a good reputation these days, though the Italians, French, and Dutch were the first to explore disc replacement ops. Slowly, Aus surgeons are starting to pick up the techniques.

Here are the results of an encounter with a visiting master Chinese acupuncturist from the mainland to Australia....this technique is called scraping.....after a couple of hours of acupuncture, you get oiled up and massaged, then they get a ceramic knob and scape it oh so firmly...aggressively...across your back....trying to release the 'toxins'......I cried....

 

[Simon]

Went out for dinner the other night with a bunch of people from the Embassy. We went to a local lake which was ringed with restaurants, markets and other brightly lit businesses. Was quite spectacular. They rent out little electric boats and these were silently cruising around the lake adding their lighting to the effect.

Was quite busy and when we approached the restaurant they said they had no room for a group our size. Some discussions went on in Chinese and then they suddenly agreed to accomodate us. We were put into a large private room and provided with a whole lot of staff to attend to us and wait along the wall to top up drinks etc. This is not uncommon here where labour is cheap.

I was later told the reason for the change of heart. Seemed I was a famous singer from Australia visiting with a group of journalists and they might expect a story to feature them. I am just grateful this was one of the few local restaurants which didn't have Karaoke facilities or I may have had to sing for my supper.

Had Yum Cha yesterday with my brother's family. Was a great restaurant and very busy as Yum Cha should be. There was a large park next door which was very attractively kept. Many locals were playing games and musical instruments and apparently in the early hours they do Tai Chi, fan dancing, ball room dancing and even martial arts with swords etc amongst other things. With space at a premium many people socialise and exercise publicly. There was even a large area with outdoor exercise machines. Shame Australians don't copy this idea and use it.

My visit here is drawing to a close. Flying to KL tomorrow for two days then on home. We lived in Malaysia for a while and I hope to sample some of the amazing food that we miss so much. By coincidence a friend of mine has business there at the same time and I hope to catch up with him.

Stay tuned - thewre wont be too many more of my adventures and mishaps to endure.

Cheers,

 

[crest133]

Don't do this
bon voyage
crest133

 

[Simon]

Time to wind this up.

Not much new to add. Spent a few more days in Beijing then flew home to Sydney. My diplomat brother escorted me through all the diplomatic channels at the airport. One tricky bit was the fact my bags were overloaded with gifts and parcels for my brother. He showed me how to rest the suitcase on the border of the weighing machine so it read much lower. Just hope that not too many people do this and overload the aircraft .....

Easy enough flight to KL. I sat next to an interesting Chinese Businessman who told me all about their internet radio sets. Apparently if you have a wireless network these radios can be placed on your stereo or standalone in the kitchen, bedroom etc and will play any streaming radio you choose worlwide. Very popular amongst expats who wish to hear their hometown radio.

Arrived in KL and met a mate who happened to be there for business. Stayed in his fancy hotel and swum, shopped and ate for two days. Malaysia is famous for food and I indulged in plenty of local delicacies I missed from my days living in Penang.

Flew home - scored a row of five seats to myself and slept all the way.

Arrived home into the arms of my waiting dog.

Later Jen and the girls all drifted home one at a time so I was welcomed three more times.

Is nice to be back.

 

[geoffw]

Hmmm... nice trick with the weigh in.

I LOVED the food in Asia, wherever I went (Peninsula Malaysia, Thailand, HK, many years ago). I especially loved a Thai Thom Yam Gung and a Penang Laksa.

In Malaysia, I could be understood- or at least understand the writing on a menu. In Thailand, it could be fun trying to order. I had some elementary Thai. In HK, I went away from the tourist areas- and had a lot more "fun" trying to communicate. I would generally eat in marketplaces and roadside stall.

In HK, it was interesting to be eating in an outdoor restaurant- and have a Rolls Royce pull up, and have the passenger eat in another table at the same place.

 

[kissfan]

Thanks for sharing your tales with us all Simon. It has been an interesting read.

If you were to do it all again, is there somewhere you wouldn't go again or somewhere you would go to (that you didn't do this trip)?

Regards
Marty

 

[Simon]

If you were to do it all again, is there somewhere you wouldn't go again or somewhere you would go to (that you didn't do this trip)?

Regards
Marty

Turkey is a place I have had my heart set on for a long time. I really only chose China because of my brother being there.

Now I think about it I prob wont return to China anytime soon. Firstly, because I would prefer somewhere new and secondly thewre were so many local tourists that everything was so busy and I really have an aversion to crowds bordering on a phobia I suspect.

I would go to China again to see Tibet or travel by rail to Moscow and explore Eastern Europe.